Teachers and parents, what do you take from a student that can't be bought with marks and gold stars?

You take the intense satisfaction of knowing that this person will get a major heaping helping of come-uppance as life plays itself out. There are too many other students to teach: you can’t risk losing all for the sake of the one.

@kritiper That is probably why the school didn’t care that I skipped school. It wasn’t because I was clever, just that they cut their losses with me.

In our family, we do not “take away” anything. Rewards are our currency, ranging from computer time to money to favorite foods and such.

I guess I would need to know more. Is the student having troubles in school? Can’t pass classes? Keeps getting into trouble? Or are they doing okay and just give eye rolls when someone suggests a gold star or a better grade as incentive for trying harder? People react differently to different things. We recently had a supervisor that came in and wanted to set up a gold star system for the workers. We all thought it was pretty dumb. Maybe a child would too.

Ideally, education should be its own reward. Unfortunately, schools often present the material in a dull rote fashion.

@LostInParadise The Common Core program that many schools in the U S have adopted has changed all that. The lessons include all sorts of educational projects and activities to encourage the student to develop the ability to approach issues from a variety of situations. It is a huge departure from the old fashion way.

A good deal of troublemakers in the past turned out to be intelligent individuals that refused to fit into a mold designed by the Education system that was years behind the times.
One that is NOT motivated by a grading system and gold stars that are taken from the 1950’s has integrity and insight into there own values and ways of learning.
Presently Educators now know better and different alternative schools and ways of teaching are offered.
I viewed a Comedian who announced a story about his life as a troublemaker in schools “Mike MacDonald” a famous comedian who stated that his High School Principal decided to humiliate him in class by saying” An what do you think that your life career will be in a few years? Do you think that being funny will get you far in life?”
Many years later with Mike MacDonald on stage just says“Ta Dah” ...to a roaring crowd of his fans on a comedy special.
Perhaps people ARE fated for a type of career and he is an example of this.
Lots of famous people especially Celebrities in Acting,Music, Comedy and Athletic.
Not everyone fits into a mold designed for one type of Career field.